


relief

by onomatopathetic (luckilyluculent)



Category: Critical Role (Web Series), Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Mention of previous character death, honestly this is v tame it's just that sam riegel gave me goddamn feelings and i had to write em out, mention of slavery, spoilers for gen con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 16:45:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15562101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luckilyluculent/pseuds/onomatopathetic
Summary: SPOILERS FOR GENCON 2018 EPISODE.Lorenzo finally lies dead in one room and Nott half can't believe she's still alive. But there's a lock (or two technically) that needs to be picked before she can declare this case officially closed.





	relief

**Author's Note:**

> just a little pov thing from my favorite character because i had feelings.

Nott’s heart is still racing after the fight. The stench of burnt flesh hovers in the air in a manner that is sickening. Less sickening when she remembers Mollymauk, lying dead under his coat somewhere—

_Or maybe not! Maybe,_ Nott thinks in a desperate nervous way, _he’s on his way to see us!_

—and _gods_ how are they going to explain that to the others? The others! That’s right! She hadn’t forgotten, not really. They came all this way after all, but it’s hard to think straight when you’re fighting to not die (or get captured) by slavers.

So Nott, all nervous jerky movements and halting steps, spots Beauregard using a candelabra to peer into the darkness of one of the cells. Mister Clay stands at the other, his head tilted to one side and a quizzical expression on his features.

Nott steps closer to him, wringing her hands as he looks over the lock. Mister Clay twists his fingers in the air, muttering something under his breath—it’s not like when Caleb unlocks things she can see instantly—that causes a flicker of radiant fire inside of the lock. Nott has to squint her eyes against it, feeling her pupils contract painfully as the gloom is broken by something she was directly focusing on.

When she blinks it clear she hears Mister Clay make a soft, nearly inaudible click under his breath. The lock remains on the door, and Nott’s stomach twists. _What if we can’t get the lock open? What if we came all this way and they’re stuck in there and they starve because they’re trapped for forever and—_

“I...” Nott begins before she’s really even sure of what she’s going to say. Mister Clay turns his eyes slowly down to her, he has that almost amused slow smile on his face. She’s still nervous. “I can help, a little. If you—”

“Oh, really?” Clay’s slow words make Nott feel like he’s far away. Or maybe she’s far away? No! Ridiculous, he’s right there.

“Oh! Yeah I... I...” Nott’s confidence begins to wane, she feels awkward for bringing it up. The beginning of this mission was so hectic. _My fault,_ Nott thinks. It gave Lorenzo and the others time to prepare. Not enough, but still.

“Oh, yeah no, I wanna watch,” Clay’s saying with a slow smile. His eyes are sharp, they’re on her and Nott feels like shrinking but she’s worried about what she will find in the cage more than his gaze. In a manner almost encouraging he adds; “This looks like fun.”

_Fun,_ Nott thinks to herself. Out loud she says nervously; “I don’t do well in crowds.”

Clay steps aside though, and Nott pulls her tools out and sets to work. Something about his words, despite her own nervous rebuttal, must ring true with her. She finds the tumblers easily, twisting the metal and with a neat flick of the wrist she hears the lock give a heavy clink sound. For a heartbeat Nott fears she broke her pick, but then the door swings open wide and clangs against the wall.

Nott is breathless, half-stunned that this worked at all.

“That was so cool,” Clay says, and his words sound genuine. Nott’s only half listening to him, staring at her lockpicks, “Wow.”

She wants to echo the sentiment but can’t find the words to do it. Before she can sort her thoughts—they’re tumbling all over themselves, a jumbled mess that isn’t quite celebration and more anxiety—Clay is pressing a wide hand against her back. Nott almost jumps out of her skin at the stranger’s contact, shooting him a wide-eyed look.

“After you,” Clay offers by way of explanation. Nott’s mouth goes dry.

“Oh! Uh... uh...” Nott, for a moment, flounders. She can’t think of what else to say. She wishes Caleb was standing over here. He’s much better with words. Finally, she settles simply for; “Thank you.”

Whether or not Clay nods is beyond Nott. She’s darting into the cell as soon as the words are out of her mouth, feet barely scraping against the stone. Inside it’s much darker than out, even with that very low light, and Nott peers over the prisoners. An older woman is chained and gagged in a manner similar to how Shakaste had been. _Because some people can cast spells,_ Nott thinks nervously.

She’s not interested in the woman though. What matters to her is the familiar blue—barely visible in the dim lighting—of Jester’s hair and her friend slumped over unconscious. Fjord too! Nott sees him lying down, large and recognizable, and Nott feels her heart stutter. The relief that crashes over her in that instant leaves her feeling strangely boneless. Limp.

Still she runs to Jester and throws her arms around her friend. There is a faint coppery smell to her clothing. She is unconscious, and Nott knows that she can’t hear or feel her, but she hugs her tighter than she’s hugged anyone before. For a moment she feels afraid that, if she lets her go, Jester will disappear. Or that she’ll wake up and this will all have been an elaborate dream.

Tears threaten to choke her, and she presses her face against Jester. _Safe. We saved them. We found them. We did it. They’re okay. They’re okay. It’s okay._

“Case closed,” Nott whispers almost timidly, her voice choked by tears. It is finally over.

**Author's Note:**

> I had so many feelings about "Case closed" as a quote that I wanted to write something. This is my first official fanfiction for Critical Role? Which is wild because I love it so much. I've been itching to write with Nott though, I positively adore her in every way.


End file.
